[germb747]

You're right--in general. This is a competitive industry where the "bare minimum" isn't going to get you very far. Without trying to sound too much like a cliche, the only constant in this market place is change. For kids coming into the industry right now, timing is definitely on their side--not something I'd hold against them. When I graduated from college in December 2002 and started looking for a full-time flight instructing job in early 2003, here's the exact quote from the Expressjet website during that time period (from that neat website archive.org):

Thank you for your interest in joining the ExpressJet team. We are not accepting resumes for the pilot position. We encourage you to check back often to apply when this position is available.
Once again, thank you for your interest in ExpressJet Airlines.

No 1000/200, No 2500/1000 mins, Nothing. No resumes accepted, period. With a CFI, CFII, and MEI, not even the flight schools were hiring. I found my own students and instructed in the university's flying club airplane and, as a volunteer, in the Civil Air Patrol before I was picked up for an Air Force pilot slot. I'm not whining that the barriers to entry aren't now what they were then--the timing just didn't work out for me when I was ready to find a job in the civilian world but was extremely lucky to get the military opportunity when I did. I have zero regrets, but if I were graduating today with a fresh 600 hours on my ticket like I did 5 years ago, I might have played the game differently based on what the job market will bear. Of course, as you said, there are cycles and there will be another downturn in the hiring. All I can say is that if you're lucky enough to have been able to meet the qualifications of a good regional airline when you did, then congratulations to you--in addition to having a good work ethic, you were lucky. I'm 28 and both flying in the reserves and Part 121 cargo, but you have at least three more years before you have to retire than I do, since you're only 25 and still very young with you're whole life ahead of you, and you appear to be in a good position right now to go as far as your dreams take you. With that said, of course I'll agree with you that you're still relatively inexperienced (as am I) and you have alot of competition out there--how "grey haired" did you expect to be at 25. While you appear to be doing things right, I still detect some bitterness and high ego in your post (not that those things are hard to find in aviation ). Why take that attitude? It will only lead to continued frustration and eventually you'll be burned out doing this job. By stating you "need not apply" if you have to ask certain questions, encourages the younger crowd not to explore their options. Of course they should be asking all the questions that come to their mind--they don't know the industry as well as you do and it's natural to be curious about what it will really take to get the job they're looking for. Had I never asked anyone what the market conditions really are, I'd perhaps still be working on my Doctor's degree with 5000 hours of dual given in piston props and the Nobel Peace Prize just because I want a job flying shiny jets! The bottom line is that those qualifications aren't necessary and it's important to understand not what the market was 2-5 years ago, but what the market is right now. What the market will be two years from now is anyone's guess, so I wouldn't wrap myself around the axle too much about that.

For those considering a career in this field, timing and networking are everything for getting a job, seniority is everything for keeping a job. In some years, you need CFI credentials to get an interview, right now you do not. There was a time you needed to come from the military for that shiny jet job, right now you do not. To answer the topic at hand, get your college degree. Education is an invaluable experience that will make you the "whole person" the airlines are looking for (not to mention the opportunity to network). But if the job opportunity is staring you in the face and you're qualified for a good regional like ExpressJet, then go for it and work on your degree as time permits (but ultimately get that degree!). And please, don't waste any portion of your life at a bottom feeder carrier like Mesa who hires wet commercial tickets. If you're right out of high school and just starting flying, focus on the degree first because you're not likely to get hired until you're close to 21 anyway. But in four years when you graduate, don't be surprised if you see the "no resumes are being accepted" notice just like I did--world events make that impossible to predict. If that happens to you, work on making yourself better and more marketable because there will be another hiring boom and you'll want to be ready for it.